Blood coagulation is the result of the complex interaction of a number of protein clotting factors that occurs through a cascade (FIG. 1). In general, damage to the vascular endothelium exposes subendothelial structures that attract platelets and induce them to aggregate reversibly. The protein thrombin, formed during activation of the coagulation pathway, generates insoluble crosslinked fibrils of the protein fibrin and causes the platelets to aggregate irreversibly. The resulting platelet-fibrin clot is an effective barrier against loss of blood from the vascular system and also serves as a scaffold for subsequent repair of the lining of the blood vessel.
Different principles for production of fibrin sealants and the like have been established, and commercial devices employing these methods are available and in clinical use. However, there is still a need in the art for biological compositions, e.g., fibrin compositions, and methods for the production thereof.